What do you do when you get pulled over? Think of just a routine traffic stop-- you might have a memory or two of this happening to you… I certainly do! The cop turns on their lights and you slow and stop on the shoulder or in a parking lot. You wait in your car for the cop to walk up to your window and ask for “License and registration.” This is what you know from movies and TV. However, what do you do next? What do you say? There are so many rules, hidden social signals and responses that might not seem important, but a wrong misstep on the part of the person pulled over and a misinterpretation of the scenario by the cop could end badly. Not only that, but it is a highly emotional situation, if you are anxious or unused to interacting with police, which can only make it harder to think about how to respond or act socially. For example, if you weren’t speeding, but they pulled you over anyway, would you argue? If you knew a better place to pull off the road a mile ahead because you lived in the area, would you drive to it with the cop following you? If you have trouble making eye contact, would you be worried about coming off suspicious, or under the influence? Any of these seem reasonable at first, or an easy conclusion to come to, but could cause potential issues with the law. There is a lot of training necessary in police departments on how to anticipate and interact with an individual with autism during something like a traffic stop. Similarly, there is some preparation, education, and social practice that autistic individuals can benefit from on the topic of interacting with police. Totally Social has done work in both, striving to avoid those potentially detrimental social misunderstandings.
One option to make the situation immediately known is to let the cop know you have autism as soon as they ask for the license and registration. The goal of self-advocacy is to gain the correct accommodations by getting the “issue” at hand in the open as soon as necessary. This makes the other party aware that they are dealing with a slightly different situation, and should react appropriately. With programs (hopefully) educating the police departments on what the autism spectrum is, letting them know you have autism should take away the social pressure of having to navigate hidden rules you may not be aware of. However, the State of Michigan is making it an option to have an ASD designation on your license, the same as corrective lenses or hearing loss. It would take away the pressure to have to announce and self-advocate, while still letting the police officer know that the person they are interacting with may have some social or behavioral differences to accommodate for.
It is important to state that not everyone needs this, and not everyone will want this. Autism is, as the name implies, a spectrum, and some will have a larger issue, either emotionally, socially, or simply not knowing they’ve made a misstep, than others, who may know exactly what to do and have no issue at all. It is best to do what makes you most comfortable, but having the option can be a big win.
Written by Katy Evans
Sources: https://www.wkar.org/post/michiganders-autism-spectrum-can-now-add-special-designation-driver-s-license
One option to make the situation immediately known is to let the cop know you have autism as soon as they ask for the license and registration. The goal of self-advocacy is to gain the correct accommodations by getting the “issue” at hand in the open as soon as necessary. This makes the other party aware that they are dealing with a slightly different situation, and should react appropriately. With programs (hopefully) educating the police departments on what the autism spectrum is, letting them know you have autism should take away the social pressure of having to navigate hidden rules you may not be aware of. However, the State of Michigan is making it an option to have an ASD designation on your license, the same as corrective lenses or hearing loss. It would take away the pressure to have to announce and self-advocate, while still letting the police officer know that the person they are interacting with may have some social or behavioral differences to accommodate for.
It is important to state that not everyone needs this, and not everyone will want this. Autism is, as the name implies, a spectrum, and some will have a larger issue, either emotionally, socially, or simply not knowing they’ve made a misstep, than others, who may know exactly what to do and have no issue at all. It is best to do what makes you most comfortable, but having the option can be a big win.
Written by Katy Evans
Sources: https://www.wkar.org/post/michiganders-autism-spectrum-can-now-add-special-designation-driver-s-license